Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Paperback 115: 'K' / Leslie Waller (Gold Medal k1319)

Paperback 115: Gold Medal k1319 (PBO, 1963)
Title: 'K'
Author: Leslie Waller
Cover artist: uncredited

Yours for: $15


Best things about this cover:

  • The "K", obviously - my favorite letter of the alphabet, by far.
  • Easily the shortest title in my collection
  • They've made Khrushchev look gregarious, drunk, lecherous, all at once. It's a nasty combo.
  • I do not believe anyone would get up from a chair and leave it in exactly that condition
  • The rifle appears to be floating. At that angle it couldn't possibly be propped up by the chair arm.
  • Is that "K" supposed to look ... Sovietish? It's certainly Red.

Best things about this back cover:

  • "Yes, hello! It's me, Nikita! I am watching you, you naughty minx..."
  • In case you forgot that Khrushchev is communist, they have made him red to remind you.
  • There's a fine art to near-murder now?
  • Are those circles supposed to be bullet holes? Views through a rifle scope? Pips on a defective domino?

Page 123~

Lying at his feet, Ryder saw one meaty finger whiten at the knuckle as Ponamarenko started to squeeze the trigger.


I think that sentence opens with a misplaced modifier. Sounds like Ryder is lying at some other guy's feet, when I think the meaty finger is actually lying at Ryder's feet. These are the kinds of things I spend my life obsessing over. It's sad, really.

~RP

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

There's good eatin' on a meaty finger....

Anonymous said...

I read the page 123 paragraph differently. I think Ryder is lying at Ponamarenko's feet, and Ponamarenko is pointing a gun down at Ryder's head. Ryder is observing Ponamarenko's kunckle go white from the pressure of (almost) squeezing so hard on the trigger.

Great write up though - you're spot on about how unlikely the chair is to be left in that condition. Jolly good show, old chap!

Rex Parker said...

Uh ... yes, that was a reading test, Zach, and you passed. Congratulations.

rp

Anonymous said...

Do I get a gold star now?

Miss Maggie said...

I'm really enjoying your blog. Your diligence is making me feel like a slacker. Sometimes I'm tempted to just steal things from you! Keep up the good work.

Maughta @ Judge a Book by its Cover

G said...

...how on earth could you not comment on "muff it"?

Michael5000 said...

What g said.